Toy projectile and means to propel same



June 26, 1956 M. GREENWOOD TOY PROJECTILE AND MEANS T0 PROPEL. SAME Filed Aug. 3l, 1953 II/III a2 gz 2 a. ll l n l u l INVENTOR "WMV @ee-eww ATTO R N EY rIOY PROJECTILE AND MEANS TO PROPEL SAME Murray Greenwood", Laurelton, N. Y.

Application August 31, 1953, Serial No. 377,285

4 Claims. (Cl. t6-199) The present invention relates generally to toys,v and in particular it relates to toy projectiles and meansfor discharging same.

It is an object of the present invention, toprovide a new and useful toy which may be operated manually, the operation of which is accompanied by the production of a loud noise and the violent movement of a part thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy projectile and means manually operable at least in part to cause violent movement thereof.

lt is a still further object of the present invention to provide a toy projectile as a rocket or the like, and means, partly manually operable and partly explosive, to cause violent movement therefrom.

lt is a still further object of the present invention to provide a toy projectile and means to cause movement thereof comprising a barrel, projectile seating means at o-ne end thereof adapted also to receive an explosive charge, and means to explode said charge whereby to violently eject the projectile from the seat to direct same against a specied target or otherwise.

Other, further and more specific objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and in part specically pointed out in the following description of an illustrative embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a part side elevational and part sectional view of one form of mechanism constructed according to and embodying the present invention, the projectile, barrel and charge being shown in spaced-apart relationship prior to assembly for operation; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged view, again partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section through the lower portion of the projectile seated in the upper portion of the barrel.

The projectile is indicated generally by reference numeral 10, and comprises an elongated rocket-shaped body member 12 having a reduced nose 14 formed of soft, sponge rubber or the like compressible material. A number of wings 16, 16 are provided and spaced about the circumference of body 12, the trailing ends 17 of said wings 16, 16 extending below the base 18 of said rocket 10. Base 18 of said rocket-projectile 10, extending rearwardly from body 12, is circular in cross section, and there is formed an annular, outwardly extended collar 20, the underside of which is recessed as indicated at 22, between base 18 and body 12. Projectile 10 is formed preferably of light, easily workable plastic material, by molding, stamping or otherwise, and the wings 16, 16 may be formed as an integral part thereof. Base 18 and shoulder 20 are integral with body 12.

The barrel component of the device is indicated generally by reference numeral 50, and comprises an elongated hollow, cylindrical, tubular member 52, also formed of plastic material as by molding, stamping or the like. A centrally apertured closure S4 is provided at the lower, or rear end 56 of barrel 50, and the upper end 58 rates Patent ice thereof is shouldered or flanged outwardly and upwardly, as indicated at 60, to provide a seat 61 for the projectile collar 20, as will be described below. A metal cup 62 cylindrical in cross-section is firmly seated within the open, upper end 58, the top of which cup 62 is level with seat 61. The interior of cup 62 is deeper in length than theA height of projectile base 1S, for reasons to be specitied below. The upper face of cup floor 63 is indicated by reference numeral 63a; the lower face by reference numeral 63b.

An elongated rod 70 is disposed within barrel 50, the upper end 72 of which is provided with a flat-topped metal striking head 74 crimped or otherwise fixed to end 72. Striking head 74 is circular in cross section, and of such diameter as to slide easily within tube or barrel S0.

A helical coil compression spring St) is disposed concentrically within barrel 50 about rod 70, and is trapped between the underside of head 74 and closure 54 at the rear of the barrel.A The rear end '78 of rod 70 extends out of the barrel through the central aperture in closure 54', and is provided with an enlarged, easily grasped ball titi. Spring 76 is of such size with respect to barrel 50 that when the parts are arranged as above described and as shown in the drawing, the rod head 74 will be urged against the under face 63b of cup door 63 by the expansive thrust thereof. When ball 80 is grasped and rod 7d partially or largely pulled out of barrel 50, spring 76 will be contracted and further tensioned. Upon release of ball 8G and the expansion of spring 76, the rod 70 will be urged violently back into the barrel and the headed end 74 will be propelled with considerable force against the underface of the door of cup 62.

ln use, a small explosive charge, of the type used in the conventional cap pistols, indicated generaliy by reference numeral S2 is provided and disposed on the upper face 63a of cup floor 63. Projectile 10 is then slidably nested atop barrel Sti within cup 62, with the rearwardly extended rocket base 13 extending into the cup and collar 20 resting atop seat 61, and with the shoulder end 60 of barrel 50 extending into the recess 22 on the underside of said collar 20. The space between the lower end of the rocket base 13 and the floor 63 of cup 62 is so small that there is substantially direct contact between the base, charge 82 and the upper face 63a of the cup iioor. Thus, when the rod head 74 is propelled against the lower face 63b of the cup floor, the charge 82 will be energized, exploding with a loud noise, whereupon the force of the thrust of rod 7@ and head 74, together with the expanding gases released by the energization of charge 32, will hurl the projectile outwardly and away from barrel Sil. The fit of the projectile base within cup 62, and the intert of the barrel shoulder {it} with the projectile collar 20 will largely prevent the escape of the expanding gases, and the energy produced thereby will be directed against the base of the projectile.

The provision of the wings 16, 16 on the projectile will permit a directed tiight thereof towards any desired target within the range of the forces generated by the rod thrust and the expanding gases, and it will be obvious that many different games can be played with the toy hereinabove described. The soft nose 14 will avoid harmful contact between the projectile and target, deliberate or otherwise.

The toy of the above invention can be made easily and quickly, and of relatively light and inexpensive materials. The rod 70, barrel 5t), ball 80 and projectile 1t) can all be made of plastic materials, easily moldable. The only metal components, the cup or shell 62, the rod cap 74 and the spring 76, are either readily obtainable or formed quite easily. The sponge rubber tip 14 presents no problem, either in securement, formation or attachment to the leading end of the projectile. The barrel u may be about 6" in length, and the rocket may be about 31/2 long, with the body thereof not substantially exceeding the barrel diameter in thickness.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A toy of the character described comprising, in combination, a launching device including a tubular barrel member having a transverse imperforate wall ixedly secured thereto adjacent its forward end, dividing said barrel into a forwardly directed explosion cavity, and a rearwardly disposed housing, said transverse wall having a front face and a rear face, a retractable hammer member located in said housing, spring means urging said hammer member toward said transverse wall rear face, and a projectile having a rearwardly extending base portion so shaped as to slidably nest in said explosion cavity, said base portion having a rear face confronting and in close proximity to said transverse wall front face.

2. A toy in accordance with claim l wherein said projectile is provided with a forward portion located longitudinally opposite said base portion and formed of a soft compressible material.

3. A toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein the front end of said barrel member is provided with an outwardly extending flange terminating in a forwardly directed lip,

and the front part of said projectile base portion is provided with an annular flange having a circular groove formed in its rear face adapted to engage and intert with said forwardly directed lip.

4. A toy in accordance with claim 1 including a rod secured to said hammer member and projecting rearwardly beyond the rear of said housing, and a stop member carried by the wall of said housing, said spring means being defined by a helical compression spring, registering with said rod and entrapped between said stop member and said hammer member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 723,603 Hazelhurst Mar. 24, 1903 1,117,768 Bissell Nov. 17, 1914 1,425,198 Hampel Aug. 8, 1922 1,547,104 Dougherty July 21, 1925 1,803,366 Stetson May 5, 1931 2,032,161 Wiener Feb. 25, 1936 2,119,524 Char June 7, 1938 2,183,152 Prensky Dec. 12, 1939 2,482,436 Ream Sept. 20, 1949 2,645,490 Volman July 14, 1953 

